US History

Events

Christopher Columbus

1492

On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain in three ships: the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. On October 12, the ships made landfall–not in Asia, as Columbus assumed, but on one of the Bahamian islands. For months, Columbus sailed from island to island in what we now know as the Caribbean, looking for the “pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and other objects and merchandise whatsoever” that he had promised to his Spanish patrons, but he did not find much

The revolutionary war begins

1775

The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolution, a conflict that would escalate from a colonial uprising into a world war that, seven years later, would give birth to the independent United States of America.

Declaration of Independence

1776

the statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain, regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states, and no longer under British rule

Treaty of Paris

1783

negotiation between the United States and Great Britain, which ended the revolutionary war and recognized American independence. The Continental Congress named a five-member commission to negotiate a treaty-John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Laurens.

US constitution Ratified

1788

a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789.

Louisiana Purchase

1803

a land deal between the United States and France, in which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million

Lewis and Clark expedition

1804

Lewis an Clark led an expedition through the uncharted American interior to the Pacific. They braved dangerous waters and harsh weather and endured hunger, illness, injury, and fatigue. Along the way, Lewis kept a detailed journal and collected samples of plants and animals he encountered.

The Civil War Begins

1861

Began due to an assault on Fort Sumter by Confederate Forces. It remains the deadliest war in American History, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 750,000 soldiers and an underdetermined number of civilian casualties

Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone

1876

Was the first device that allowed voice to be heard over long distances. It started off as an improvement on the telegram that would allow multiple messages to be sent, and it fairly quickly eliminated the telegraph

Thomas Edison invents the light bulb

1879

Before, the electric light came out in 1879, people used to sleep for 10 hours every night. in the ensuing 100 years, people have gradually reduced the amount of time they sleep by 20%

Ford model T was made

1908

Generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, the car that opened travel to the common middle class american.

The War to End All Wars Begins

1917

The US entered the war for a multitude of reasons including, unrestricted submarine warfare, the Zimmerman notes, National self interest, and moral responsibility.

Jazz singers is released

1927

The first feature length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

1941

was supposed to occur after Japan had declared war but due to complications became a surprise attack. It was considered an act of war, and forced the US into WWII.

Atomic Bombs Dropped on Japan

1945

Two nuclear bombs were dropped, one on Hiroshima and the other on Nagasaki. The US, in the Postdam Declaration threatened Japan with "prompt and utter destruction" if the refused to surrender.

The Soviets Launch Sputnik

1957

This began the space race between the US and the Soviets. This lasted until 1975, when the Apollo-Soyuz human spaceflight mission concluded.

John F. Kennedy is elected president

1960

Kenndedy's administration contributed to the peaceful resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis and refrained from further escalation of the 1961 Berlin Crisis. In 1961 Kennedy initiated the creation of Peace Corps.